Masters of Wine Dig Deep for Endowment

Wine lovers should get their auction paddles ready.

By Joe Czerwinski

Fans of wine, wine-related travel and dining will want to shine their auction paddles.

The Institute of Masters of Wine in conjunction with Christie’s is holding two live sales to fund the creation of a permanent endowment for the advancement of wine education. The first auction will be held in London on October 30, with the second slated for New York on November 1.

Although some lots are “merely” collectible wines—the New York sale features full cases of 1970 Graham’s, 1970 Taylor’s and 1977 Fonseca, among others—more interesting items include such rarities as the 1975 Nectar from Greece’s Samos cooperative. A number of the U.S.-based MWs have offered lots in which they host dinners either in their homes or restaurants, while more spectacular travel lots include:

a four-day trip to Austria, escorted by an MW

a three-day trip through Burgundy hosted by Clive Coates, MW

a 10-day tour of New Zealand hosted by the Family of 12 wineries

a 5-day trip to Australia’s Barossa Valley

The whopper may be the “Trip of a Lifetime to Bordeaux,” which features visits and tastings at Haut-Brion and Lynch-Bages, lunches at Palmer, Langoa-Barton and Suduiraut and dinners at Rauzan-Ségla and Le Pin. Finally, have dinner and spend the night at either Yquem or Cheval Blanc.

The full catalogs, with all of the details, are available for download as PDF files from the Institute’s Web site: